This course deals with complex normal and abnormal behavior patterns ad determined by Psychology as a Science. Psychology is the study of behavior and the mind. But all of us have tried to understand and predict behavior throughout our lives, first with our parents, then with our peers and teachers, and finally with our friends and co-workers. The difference is that psychological scientists conduct research that discovers the facts about behavior and our minds, so its principles are based on science and not just on intuition and experience. The course covers personality psychology, social psychology, and abnormal psychology. The content of the course has received approval from "Quality Matters", an organization that evaluates on-line courses. The learning outcomes are: (1) Students will be able to recognize and describe major psychological theories of personality and how personality is measured; (2) Students will understand how behavior and our cognition is shaped by being with other people; and, (4) Students will be able to distinguish between different psychological disorders and be able to describe how they are both diagnosed and treated.

From the lesson

Section 3: Social Environment

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: Behavior is controlled by being in a social context. Other people affect us and we affect other people. We also develop attitudes and thought processes as we interact with other people.